Mixed
Critical Power (CP) defines a physiological threshold separating exercise domains where metabolic responses stabilize (<CP) from those where they progressively drift toward intolerance (>CP).
Use Critical Power (CP) to define your training zones. If you exercise above CP, your body cannot stabilize its metabolic state (O2 and lactate will keep rising), and you will fatigue predictably based on your W' (work capacity above CP). If you stay below CP, your body can stabilize, allowing for longer durations. This is more accurate than using percentages of your max heart rate or lactate threshold for predicting how long you can sustain a specific power output.
CP may be regarded as a 'fatigue threshold' in the sense that it separates exercise intensity domains within which the physiological responses to exercise can (<CP) or cannot (>CP) be stabilized.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review by leading experts synthesizing decades of physiological data across multiple species and modalities.
Source
Critical Power
David C. Poole et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2016
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